Jane destined to be a dairy farmer

After vowing to never become a dairy farmer, Jane tried quite a few different occupations, including chasing Herefords in South Australia and underground mining, but it seems you can’t take the dairy out of the girl, and today, she is happily working alongside her brother Brett on the family dairy farm.

“I grew up following my Dad and my brother around the farm, but when I left home, I vowed I would never come back and be a dairy farmer because I just hated the early mornings and still do,” she laughed.

But like most farmers with milk running through their veins, Jane could no longer ignore the pull. Giving in, she returned home in February 2024.

And she just loves it.

“It is so good to be back home with my family full-time,” Jane said.

“I am really close with my brother, and even though he is a fair bit older than me, we really complement each other — where one of us lacks, the other thrives, and we just work really well together.”

The siblings milk 300 Holstein and crossbreed cows between Deniliquin and Finley in southern NSW.

“I know it sounds like a cliche, but I just love working with the cows,” Jane said.

Passionate about breeding, Jane pushed for the family to install collars, and three weeks ago, her dreams came true.

“There was definitely room for some improvement when it comes to the breeding side of things, and I am getting a real kick out of tracking the girls’ cycles and other activities.”

The AFImilk collars and Every Cow program have been instrumental in updating their records, which before the purchase, were all written down on paper.

“This has been a huge game changer for us and allows me to focus on our breeding, which will translate into more calves, better health and reproductive outcomes.

“I can’t wait until we are a couple of years down the track and looking at our results.”

Jane recently had the opportunity to participate in Fonterra’s Proud to be a Dairy Farmer program after she was selected as one of the 28 participants for 2025.

She said the experience was amazing.

“The program was well put together and ran super smooth,” she said.

“It was an eye-opener seeing the different farms and systems and you can always take something away when you speak and learn from other farmers.”

Jane had the opportunity to sit next to Fonterra’s managing director of global markets consumer and food services Rene Dedoncker at the gala dinner.

“He was super knowledgeable, and it was really good to get his perspective and hear his faith in Fonterra as a company moving forward.”

She said another great thing about the program was the confidence it gave to participants.

“There was one young fella there who barely said a word at the start, but by the end, he was one of the boys and had a great time.”

The family moved to supplying Fonterra in July 2024 and Jane said she has been impressed by the support and services Fonterra has offered.

“I think they have come a long way from the milk price drop mess of 2016, and they seem to have a lot of resources available that I didn’t come across with our previous processor,” she said.

“I am determined to make the most of these opportunities, and participating in the program is just one of the many things I hope to be involved in.

“The dairy industry might be a small industry, but everyone is just so genuine and supportive and they are my kind of people.”

Jane has some lofty dreams for her future on the farm, including hopefully one day investing in robots to take away some of the physical workload.

“If we can stay in the game, it will certainly be worth it in the long run for our business and the future of the industry.

“Coming home has been the best decision I could have ever made,” she said.